ne'er-do-well
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It’s a song about a ne’er-do-well who can’t help messing up, and Mr. Kahan wishes the best for him—hoping his greatest fears are earthly threats like personal safety and cancer and not eternal damnation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026
A teen, Karin, is left by her ne’er-do-well widowed father in the care of her grandfather at a temple.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 20, 2024
“There’s a whole ecosystem of ne’er-do-well kind of folks who are in this business,” he said.
From Reuters • Aug. 1, 2023
Whitman’s encompassing vision of life and death also wafts through the novel, courtesy of favorite lines quoted by Rose’s ne’er-do-well husband, Charlie.
From Washington Post • Mar. 14, 2023
The subject is a little like a ne’er-do-well relative; it’s sometimes a shameful reminder, sometimes openly acknowledged, but always there, even, or especially, when it’s never mentioned.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
